Published: 29 Nov 2021
Below is the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Children from the Greek Septuagint in Daniel, chapter 3. This apocryphal prayer and song is found between verses 23 and 24 of the canonical text of Daniel. Furthermore, I have included verses 23 and 24 from Daniel as they appear in the Septuagint, as these verses are rendered differently than the same verses in the canonical text of Daniel and they provide transitional text into the prayer and out of the song.
Daniel 3:23 Then these three men, Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, fell bound into the midst of the burning furnace, and walked in the midst of the flame, singing praise to God, and blessing the Lord.
1 Then Azarias[1] stood up, and prayed in this manner; and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire said,
2 Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: thy name is worthy to be praised and glorified forevermore:
3 For thou art righteous in all the things that thou hast done to us: yea, true are all thy works, thy ways are right, and all thy judgments truth.
4 In all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon the holy city of our fathers, even Jerusalem, thou hast executed true judgment: for according to truth and judgment didst thou bring all these things upon us because of our sins.
5 For we have sinned and committed iniquity, departing from thee.
6 In all things have we trespassed, and not obeyed thy commandments, nor kept them, neither done as thou hast commanded us, that it might go well with us.
7 Therefore all that thou hast brought upon us, and everything that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgment.
8 And thou didst deliver us into the hands of lawless enemies, most hateful forsakers of God, and to an unjust king, and the most wicked in all the world.
9 And now we cannot open our mouths, we have become a shame and reproach to thy servants; and to them that worship thee.
10 Yet deliver us not up wholly, for thy name's sake, neither disannul thou thy covenant:
11 And cause not thy mercy to depart from us, for thy beloved Abraham's sake, for thy servant Isaac's sake, and for thy holy Israel's sake;
12 To whom thou hast spoken and promised, that thou wouldst multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that lieth upon the seashore.
13 For we, O Lord, have become less than any nation, and are kept under this day in all the world because of our sins.
14 Neither is there at this time prince, or prophet, or leader, or burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place to sacrifice before thee, and to find mercy.
15 Nevertheless in a contrite heart and an humble spirit let us be accepted.
16 Like as in the burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, and like as in ten thousands of fat lambs: so let our sacrifice be in thy sight this day, and grant that we may wholly go after thee: for they shall not be confounded that put their trust in thee.
17 And now we follow thee with all our heart, we fear thee, and seek thy face.
18 Put us not to shame: but deal with us after thy lovingkindness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies.
19 Deliver us also according to thy marvelous works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord: and let all them that do thy servants hurt be ashamed;
20 And let them be confounded in all their power and might, and let their strength be broken;
21 And let them know that thou art God, the only God, and glorious over the whole world.
22 And the king's servants, that put them in, ceased not to make the oven hot with rosin, pitch, tow, and small wood;
23 So that the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits.
24 And it passed through, and burned those Chaldeans it found about the furnace.
25 But the angel of the Lord came down into the oven together with Azarias and his fellows, and smote the flame of the fire out of the oven;
26 And made the midst of the furnace as it had been a moist whistling wind, so that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them.
27 Then the three, as out of one mouth, praised, glorified, and blessed God in the furnace, saying,
28 Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: and to be praised and exalted above all forever.
29 And blessed is thy glorious and holy name: and to be praised and exalted above all forever.
30 Blessed art thou in the temple of thine holy glory: and to be praised and glorified above all forever.
31 Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths, and sittest upon the cherubims: and to be praised and exalted above all forever.
32 Blessed art thou on the glorious throne of thy kingdom: and to be praised and glorified above all forever.
33 Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and above all to be praised and glorified forever.
34 O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever,
35 O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
36 O ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
37 O all ye waters that are above the heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
38 O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
39 O ye sun and moon, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
40 O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
41 O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
42 O all ye winds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever,
43 O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
44 O ye winter and summer, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
45 O ye dews and storms of snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
46 O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord: bless and exalt him above all forever.
47 O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
48 O ye ice and cold, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
49 O ye frost and snow, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
50 O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
51 O let the earth bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
52 O ye mountains and little hills, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
53 O all ye things that grow in the earth, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
54 O ye mountains, bless ye the Lord: Praise and exalt him above all forever.
55 O ye seas and rivers, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
56 O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
57 O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
58 O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
59 O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
60 O Israel, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
61 O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
62 O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
63 O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
64 O ye holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever.
65 O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all forever: for he hath delivered us from hell, and saved us from the hand of death, and delivered us out of the midst of the furnace and burning flame: even out of the midst of the fire hath he delivered us.
66 O give thanks to the Lord, because he is gracious: for his mercy endureth forever.
67 O all ye that worship the Lord, bless the God of gods, praise him, and give him thanks: for his mercy endureth forever.
Daniel 3:24 And Nabuchodonosor heard them singing praises; and he wondered, and rose up in haste, and said to his nobles, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? and they said to the king, Yes, O king.
[1]: Azarias (Azariah) is Abednego. See Daniel 1:7.